Changes coming to golf balls for elite tours

[dmcdam]

the ball rollback will encourage 6000yd course designs to cater to the resurgent mass of players.

Or finally we'll begin to see the emergence of 4500-5000 yard 12 hole courses that are commercially viable.

[mpare]

I'm not the only one who thinks that the rollback is a bad idea, especially for the amateurs. Keegan Bradley didn't mince any words about how he felt.

“Srixon made whatever the USGA was saying, and it was 40, 50 yards [shorter] with my driver,” Bradley, 37, said Saturday at the Hero World Challenge. “I was a club or two shorter. I think that the USGA … everything that they do is reactionary. They don't think of a solution. They just think we're going to affect a hundred percent of the population that plays golf. For the amateur world to hit the ball shorter is monstrous. I can't think of anything more stupid than that. I don't think it's very smart at all, especially when golf's growing in popularity literally coming out of COVID."

PGA Tour players torch governing bodies on golf ball rollback; Keegan Bradley calls it 'stupid' and 'monstrous' | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

[Fore Warned]

This is the ultimate in shrinkflation. First KD cuts back on the amount of macaroni in their box...now this. Is nothing sacred anymore?

I am already losing about 5- 10 yards per year due to aging.

And, even now, with the current balls, I still leave about 90% of my putts short.

What is the betting that we are also going to be paying more for a ball that does less - when we should be getting a discount.

I agree with those who have promoted leaving things as they are, and holding the line on further increasing ball distance capability.

Taking something away from people, and making collateral damage out of those masses of struggling hard core golf hacks, to fix a problem that affects less than 1% of golfers, is never a good thing.

[Weirfan]

I'm not the only one who thinks that the rollback is a bad idea, especially for the amateurs. Keegan Bradley didn't mince any words about how he felt.

“Srixon made whatever the USGA was saying, and it was 40, 50 yards [shorter] with my driver,” Bradley, 37, said Saturday at the Hero World Challenge. “I was a club or two shorter. I think that the USGA … everything that they do is reactionary. They don't think of a solution. They just think we're going to affect a hundred percent of the population that plays golf. For the amateur world to hit the ball shorter is monstrous. I can't think of anything more stupid than that. I don't think it's very smart at all, especially when golf's growing in popularity literally coming out of COVID."

PGA Tour players torch governing bodies on golf ball rollback; Keegan Bradley calls it 'stupid' and 'monstrous' | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

Rory also commented

[ARL67]

^^^ well said by Rory.
I don't see how bifurcation ( of balls or club specs ) would affect the masses in the annual sales volume.

Maybe the Pros should be forced to buy their clubs at the local PGA Superstore or Golftown, etc like us mere mortals and not the Tour Van.

[mpare]

You appear to have missed a key point in the new rollback. It won't be a bifurcated approach. The rollback will apply to ALL golfers. Rory also fudges a key consequence as far as the average golfer is concerned. It will affect them significantly. That 5% or so rollback is huge. If you now fly the ball 220, you'll be reduced to 209. Rory might think that's insignificant, but it's a lot to an amateur.

^^^ well said by Rory.
I don't see how bifurcation ( of balls or club specs ) would affect the masses in the annual sales volume.

Maybe the Pros should be forced to buy their clubs at the local PGA Superstore or Golftown, etc like us mere mortals and not the Tour Van.

[Weirfan]

You appear to have missed a key point in the new rollback. It won't be a bifurcated approach. The rollback will apply to ALL golfers. Rory also fudges a key consequence as far as the average golfer is concerned. It will affect them significantly. That 5% or so rollback is huge. If you now fly the ball 220, you'll be reduced to 209. Rory might think that's insignificant, but it's a lot to an amateur.

So on a 400 yard par 4, what would currently be driver 220 and say 5/4/iron into the green will end up being driver 209 and 191 into the green but that 191 will play more like 200 yards with the new ball. So the average golfer has gone from driver 5 iron to driver 3hybrid or 5 wood. ....a 2-3 club difference

[sven]

I don't think the 5% rollback will apply to all swing speeds, just the elite level Tour speeds.

The governing bodies should have curbed this 30 years ago by limiting the size of driver heads. Nick Faldo had a good suggestion for tournament play - just reduce the length of the tees. Seems simple enough. You won't get the benefit of playing a 440 - 460cc head with a shorter tee.

[mpare]

That’s not what the Golf Digest article claims. Do you any reports to suggest that they erred, or that the governing bodies don’t intend a rollback for all golfers?

I don't think the 5% rollback will apply to all swing speeds, just the elite level Tour speeds.

The governing bodies should have curbed this 30 years ago by limiting the size of driver heads. Nick Faldo had a good suggestion for tournament play - just reduce the length of the tees. Seems simple enough. You won't get the benefit of playing a 440 - 460cc head with a shorter tee.

[TheBananaSlice]

^^^ well said by Rory.
I don't see how bifurcation ( of balls or club specs ) would affect the masses in the annual sales volume.

Maybe the Pros should be forced to buy their clubs at the local PGA Superstore or Golftown, etc like us mere mortals and not the Tour Van.

I think the problem with bifurcation is that the OEMs now have to devote a bunch of R&D to produce a ball that they can’t really sell to the consumer.

[Playthru]

So on a 400 yard par 4, what would currently be driver 220 and say 5/4/iron into the green will end up being driver 209 and 191 into the green but that 191 will play more like 200 yards with the new ball. So the average golfer has gone from driver 5 iron to driver 3hybrid or 5 wood. ....a 2-3 club difference

Of course, golf courses could move tees up 20 yards essentially negating the roll back. It is far easier to move tees up than move them back. Course and slope ratings and/ or yardages would have be to be reviewed based on the new ball.

[Weirfan]

I think the problem with bifurcation is that the OEMs now have to devote a bunch of R&D to produce a ball that they can’t really sell to the consumer.

Wouldn't they be able to go back and use a ball design from the past , when balls didnt travel as far and maybe change the cover etc ?

[68ping]

Not that I really care but I can always move up to the forward forward tees…

[Weirfan]

Of course, golf courses could move tees up 20 yards essentially negating the roll back. It is far easier to move tees up than move them back. Course and slope ratings and/ or yardages would have be to be reviewed based on the new ball.

Courses do this already , not uncommon on a jammed tee sheet day that everything is pushed up a box to help with pace

didn't think about the course re rating being something they might need to do...quite possible.

[Weirfan]

That’s not what the Golf Digest article claims. Do you any reports to suggest that they erred, or that the governing bodies don’t intend a rollback for all golfers?

From the GD article

"The effect on distance for recreational players will likely be less, but could be proportional. So that if a tour player loses five percent (or 15 yards on a 300-yard drive), then a recreational player might lose that same five percent on a 225-yard drive (or roughly 11 yards). And the same golfer likely would lose a similar percentage on his or her approach shots."

we likely won't know until the ball(s) are in use and tested